P.E.I. woman struggling to rebuild after home burns

A P.E.I. woman is bracing for a long, cold winter after losing her home in a fire last September.

VandaMilligan says she wants to build a mini-home on the Elmwood property, where she lived with her late husband for 21 years. There's also a barn on the property, which was spared by the fire. The barn is home to nine horses, several dogs and cats.

But Milligan, who does seasonal work giving horseback rides and harvesting potatoes, said she's had difficulty getting a mortgage.

She said the home was insured but it was only enough to pay the outstanding mortgageand the soonest construction couldbegin on a new home is the spring.

• Elmwood home completely destroyed by fire

"It's now November. We started trying to get this all done the week after the house burnt in September," Milligan said. "It's just been dragging on one thing after another."

In the meantime,Milliganhas been livingwith a friend in a camper on the property in order to take care of the animals.

She plans to live in the camper throughout the winter, even though it has no plumbing and no running water.

"It's been interesting coming up with ways to survive," she said. "If it wasn't for friends and family, being able to laugh at certain times and kind of make fun of our situation, it would be almost mind numbing and unattainable to realize you are existing."

Trying to raise money

Milligan'sdaughter Nancy says she's worried.

"It's cold, it's cramped but ... it's better thannothing," she said.

Nancy has started a GoFundMecampaign to raise money for a septic system, which she said needs replacing before a new home can be built.

Until then, Milligan said she's trying to remain positive.

"We're struggling, but we're doing," she said.

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